URANIBORG

730px Uraniborgskiss 90

 The great Danish naked-eye astronomer, nobleman and writer was an adherent of the Copernican system of cosmic organization.  He was known for his accurate astronomical and planetary observations that affected the important work of Johannes Kepler that resulted in the three laws of planetary motion.  He had a brass prosthetic nose that he was forced to wear with an adhesive as a result of damage to his bridge  caused by a duel to settle an argument.

DSC 0030

Photo: Joel Levinson, taken in the Copenhagen City Hall

King Frederick II granted Tycho an estate on the island of Hven to create a research institute.  Frederick also provided the funds to build a palace with research facilities called Uraniborg (named after Urania, the muse of astronomy).   Construction started in 1576 and completed around 1580  The design was inspired by Andrea Palladio, the great Venetian architect.  Uraniborg was one of the first buildings to reflect the influence of Italian Renaissance architecture.  The plan set the palace and research facilities in the center of a square, fenced garden.

Unknown

Google images

An account in Wikipedia states that “The plan and façade of the building, and also the plan of the surrounding gardens, are designed on grids, with proportions that Tycho carefully specified. These proportions may have been intended to make Uraniborg function as an astrological talisman, benefitting the health of its occupants by increasing the influences of the sun and Jupiter.…A large wall, 75 meters on a side and 5.5 meters high was planned to surround Uraniborg, but was never built; instead, a high earth mound was constructed. That mound has lasted until modern times, being the only remnant of the observatory still in place.”   Shortly after Brahe’s death, this costly complex was destroyed in part due to losing support from the new King Christian IV of Denmark.

Tycho Instrument Sextant 16

Google images

Diagonal struts appeared in Brahe’s sextants used in his sightings.  There is a correspondence of sorts between the struts and the geometry in the parterres of his gardens described below, but the aesthetic/psychological connection is speculative.  Most important is the fact that rather than entrance walkways leading to the palace starting at the midpoint of each boundary wall, Brahe designed diagonal walkways leading in from the corners as true diagonals.  Perhaps this was inspired by a new angular geometry emerging during the Renaissance.  The diagonal theme is echoed in some of the parterres that were designed for decorative reasons and also to supply herbs and the like for cooking and scientific studies.  The building was rotated 45º within the walled compound so that the entrance walkways lead from the corner gatehouses to the building entrances where students, assistants (most significantly his daughter), royalty, friends, and family entered and exited.  The complex is precisely oriented to the compass points.

Uraniborg

Courtesy Uraniborg

 

The gardens are currently being restored on the site, which is on the island of Sven off the coast of southern Sweden but originally under Danish hegemony.

Joel Levinson

19 Comments

  1. writeessay says:

    write a essay for me http://sertyumnt.com/

    What�s Happening i’m new to this, I stumbled upon this I’ve found It absolutely useful and it has helped me out loads. I hope to contribute

    • JL50 says:

      Greetings: I appreciate your interest. Please tell me some things about yourself: your name, where you live (born), what you do, what took you to our site, how you think you might contribute. I look forward to hearing from you. Joel Levinson

  2. essayforme says:

    write essay for me http://dekrtyuijg.com/

    Terrific write ups, Thank you!

  3. I got this site from my friend who told me on the topic of this
    web site and at the moment this time I am visiting this web site and reading very informative content here.

  4. minecraft says:

    My developer is trying to convince me to move to .net from PHP.
    I have always disliked the idea because of the expenses.

    But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using Movable-type on a
    number of websites for about a year and am anxious about switching
    to another platform. I have heard fantastic things about blogengine.net.
    Is there a way I can transfer all my wordpress posts into it?
    Any help would be really appreciated!

  5. minecraft says:

    I have been exploring for a little bit for any
    high-quality articles or weblog posts in this kind of space .
    Exploring in Yahoo I ultimately stumbled upon this website.
    Studying this info So i’m satisfied to express that I’ve a very good uncanny feeling I found out
    just what I needed. I so much unquestionably will make sure to do not put out of
    your mind this web site and provides it a look regularly.

  6. minecraft says:

    Excellent blog you have got here.. It’s hard to find
    high quality writing like yours these days. I really appreciate people like
    you! Take care!!

  7. minecraft says:

    I do believe all of the concepts you have introduced on your post.
    They’re very convincing and will definitely work. Still, the posts are very
    brief for novices. Could you please lengthen them a little from subsequent time?

    Thank you for the post.

    • JL50 says:

      I do intend to expand my articles now that I’m retired. I am also working on a book on this subject and I just gave my first talk on Diagonality after having explored the theme for the last sixty years. I guess that makes me a unique expert on this subject. Thanks for writing.

  8. minecraft says:

    Hello! I realize this is somewhat off-topic however I had to ask.

    Does building a well-established website like yours require a lot
    of work? I’m brand new to blogging however I do write in my diary daily.
    I’d like to start a blog so I can share my own experience and views online.
    Please let me know if you have any kind of recommendations
    or tips for brand new aspiring bloggers. Appreciate it!

    • JL50 says:

      Most important is get your thoughts down in writing and on your blog. Revising the text to reach for perfection is always critical. At least one image per post makes your posts more appealing and informative. I don’t regard myself as an expert and so I’m hesitant about offering advice. Check out my other website: www:joellevinson.info for more inspiration. Best of luck.

  9. minecraft says:

    Very great post. I simply stumbled upon your weblog and
    wanted to mention that I’ve really loved surfing
    around your weblog posts. In any case I will be subscribing
    in your feed and I’m hoping you write again soon!

  10. minecraft says:

    Heya i am for the first time here. I came across this
    board and I find It really useful & it helped me out a lot.

    I hope to give something back and aid others like you helped me.

Leave a Reply to writeessay Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *